Collapsible box.



J. H. FASH. c'oLLArslBLE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.7, 1912.

1,063,424., Patented June 3, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SEEBT 1.

wuomto'a I] .H Fash wizbmeooeo COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH COUWASHINGTDN. D. c.

J. H. FASH. GOLLAPSIBLE BOX. APPLICATION FILED oorm, 1912.

v1,O6"3,4;24. Patented June 3, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH 120., WASHINGTON, n r.

JAMES H. FASI-I, or FARMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 7, 1912. Serial No. 724,469.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMEs H. FAsH, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Farmington, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to metallic shipping and storing vessels, and more especially to knockdown boxes; and the object of the same is to produce a box made preferably of metal (although it might be made of wood or paper or other material) whose upright panels and cover are so formed that they may all be folded onto the bottom by the consignee who would return the box to the shipper, and held in such folded or collapsedcondition while in transit. This object is carried out by providing a box of this type with a peculiar form of fastening means for holding it folded, in addition to which I provide another fastening device for holding it in opened or distended position and V for holding the cover sections closed.

The construction of the box is more fully set forth in the following specification and claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective View of this box opened, but with its cover sections connected with each other; and Figs. 2, 3, and dare,

respectively, horizontal and vertical longitudinal sections and a vertical transverse section on the lines 2-2, 33 and 4: 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of one end of one side, showing the staple struck out of its flap; and Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of a portion of one end panel showing the notch therein for receiving said staple. Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, a central longitudinal and a transverse section through the box with its parts in folded position;

and Fig. 9 is a perspective detail of one end of the box when folded.

I will describe my improved box as made from sheet metal, such as tin, although I reserve the right to make it of other material. lVhen made of tin the hinges hereinafter mentioned will be formed by striking or bending knuckles from the meeting edges of two contiguous panels, and running a wire pintle through the interengaging knuckles in a manner well understood, but I do not care to be limited to this form of hinge as a different form may be employedv when the device is made of wood, and it is clear that when the device is made of cardboard the hinge line will be formed by scoring or creasing the same and bending it in a manner well known in this art. I prefer, however, that the material from which the box is formed shall be to an extent rigid, and obviously tin or like sheet metal will answer. The size of the parts is immaterial, as also is their proportion excepting that, if a transverse partition be employed as it will be in some instances, the box should be twice as long as it is wide so that such partition may be folded down onto the bottom in collapsing the box. It is quite possible that the latter may be used as an egg crate, in which event it will contain cells which also will be removed and folded down onto the bottom before the box is collapsed. However, I do not consider this necessary to illustrate in order to bring out the essential features of my invention as claimed below.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a flat bottom having an upturned rigid flange 2 across one end, and upturned rigid flanges 3 and 4 along its opposite side edges, the flange 2 being rather narrow, the flange 3 a little wider, and the flange 4- the widest of all, so that the panels may fold over each other in a manner yet to be described. To the left end of the bottom 1 in Fig. 3 on the line 5 is hinged one end panel 6, to the upper edge of the flange 2 at the other end of the box on the line 7 is hinged the other end S, and to the upper edges of the flanges 3 and 4 on the lines 9 and 10 respectively are hinged the side panels 11 and 12 as seen in Fig. 4. The upright panels, comprising two ends and two sides, are of proper width coacting with the flanges to which they are hinged to cause their upper edges to stand in a common plane parallel with the plane of the bottom 1. To the upper edge of the end 6 on the line 18 is hinged the end flap 14:, to the upper end of the edge 8 on the line 15 is hinged the end flap 16, and these two flaps are of such length that when the box is set up as shown in Fig. 3 their inner extremities will just about meet each other at the center of the box as shown. In similar manner there Patented June 3, 1913.

is hinged to the upper edge of the side 2 on the line 18 a side flap 19, and to the upper edge of the side 12 on the line 20 .a side flap 21; but these flaps are of a width to overlap each other when the box is set up as seeninfrom the opposite ends of the other side 12 similar flanges 23 PIOJGClZ inward and are adapted to overlie the flanges 22 when thebox is collapsed as seen in Fig. 9, or to overlie the end panel when the box is set up as seen in F ig. 1 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I, and if the material of the box is tin or light sheet metal these flanges willhave some little rigidity, and obviously they will be formed uponv the side panels in the same manner'that the other flanges 2, 3 and I are formed upon the bottom panel. Thus is built up a collapsible box whose materials, dimensions and. relative proportions are not essential to the invention.

Coming now to the details of the mechanism for holding this box in either its distended or collapsed condition, I first out each end flange with parallel slits 24 as seen in Fig. 5 and stamp up a staple 25 between them as indicated by the dotted lines thereinthe staple projecting inward toward the interior of the box; and then I out each edge of each end panel with an opening 26 at the proper point to engage said staple when the parts are set upsee Fig. 6. I provide each end panel with a pair of hooks 27 each pivoted to the panel by any suitable means, such as an eyelet or a rivet 2.8 and disposed so that its bill may be moved across the opening 26 and into engagement with the staple 25, as shown in- Fig. 4. These devices hold the end panels to the side panels in a manner which will be clear, but by disengaging the bills of the hooks from the staples the box can be collapsed in a man ner which will also be obvious. lapsed or folded the flange 23 on one side panel passes outside the flange 22 on the opposite side panel.

In the act of collapsing or folding the box the end 6 which has the lowermost hinge line 5 is folded inward first with its flap 1d beneath it as seen in Fig. 7, then the end 8 wit-h its flap 16 beneath it, then the side 11 with its front flap 19, and finally the side 12 with its side flap 21; and in so folding in the sides the flanges 23 pass outside the flanges 22 as seen in Fig. 9. In order to hold the parts in this position the flange 22 is provided with a slot or opening 30 so disposed that the inwardly projecting staple 25 on the flange 23 falls into this slot when the parts are folded, and thereby the flanges are held frictionally together and hence the box is held in collapsed or folded condition. In order to again set up the box it is only necessary to disrupt this frictional engage- When colment between the staples and slots and open up the parts in a manner which will be clear. The box is then titled with the contents and the end flaps 14 and 16 laid down as seen in Fig. 3-, and finally the side flaps 19 and 21 are laid down upon each other and over the end flaps as seen in Fig. i. In order to hold the box closed. at this time I form staples 31 ..and 32 in the end flaps (much after the manner in which the staples 25 are formed and openings 33 in the side flaps at points to register with each other and to register with said staples; and therefore when said side flaps are turned down upon each other as seen in Fig. 44, the staples project through them and small pieces of wire 35 may be passed through said staples and twisted as tl'ierein shown or any other suitable fastening device may be engaged with the staples above the box proper. Attention is directed .to the fact that these fastening devices may Ibe made at the time the box is stamped from sheet metal or paper, and the hooks 27 and wires 35 brought into use later, but they do not interfere with the folding or opening of the box nor its contents and" they are not in sight excepting at the very small points indicated in Fig, 1.

A box of this character, after having been gIGCBlVGd by the consignee and relieved of its contents, may be knocked down or folded into flat condition and returned -to the consignor .and will occupy but little space in transit back to the point of initial use, even if, as above suggested, it be provided with an internal transverse partition and perhaps also with cells in case the box is used for the transportation of eggs or other simi- ;lar individual artlcles.

The use of a knockdown box of this character is too well known to need extended description here, and the cost of production 1s trivial.

What is claimed is 1. In a collapsible box, the combination with a top and bottom, two ends hingedly connected with the latter and having openiings near their upper extremities, and two ,sides hingedly connected with said bottom and each having inturned flanges at both ends carrying staples projecting toward each other and standing parallel with said side land adapted to pass through said openings;

of hooks pivoted within and lying against said ends in position to permit their bills to gbe moved across said openings and passed through said staples when the parts are set up.

2. In a collapsible box, the combination with a bottom, the sides hingedly connected thereto and carrying at their upper edges flaps adapted to overlap when the box is set .up and pierced with slots adapted to register with each other at this time, and the ends hingedly connected with said bottom and carrying at their upper edges flaps my hand in presence of two subscribing Witadapted to underlie the side flaps when the nesses. boX is set up; of staples struck from said end-flaps in position to pass through said '5 registering openings and receive fastening Witnesses:

devices, substantially as described. ALEXANDER H. FAsH, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set RAYMOND ANDERSON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

JAMES H. FASH. 

